Conveyor hanger with a plurality of movable grip elements
AssigneeGerber Garment Technology, Inc.
InventorsLawrence S. Wolfson, David R. Pearl, Richard P. Ray, Roald P. Nymark, Harold Osthus, David Vickers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hanger for use with a conveyor in a garment making plant or the like for holding limp sheet material includes a hanger rod for attachment to a conveyor trolley and a hanger body carrying, and forming in part, a plurality of grippers, each capable of holding a workpiece unit to the body. Each gripper is made up of a stationary gripping face on part of the hanger body and a grip elememnt supported for movement along a path giving it a wedging action on a work unit inserted in the gripper when the grip element is urged downwardly by the weight of the work unit and its engagement therewith.
Claims20
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material from work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, said body being horizontally elongated in a given vertical plane, a plurality of finger portions spaced from one another along the length of said body and extending downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface generally perpendicular to said vertical plane on a respective one of said finger portions, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, and a support means carried by said body and including an elongated support member of generally circular cross-section receiving and supporting said grip element for movement in said vertical plane along a path such that as said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and gripping surface on said work unit,
- each of said grip elements being a body of revolution rotatably supported on its associated support member with said support member extending through said body of revolution along its axis of revolution so that said body of revolution may rotate relative to said support member when a unit of work material received between said grip element and said gripping surface is pulled horizontally from said hanger, each of said elements having a given maximum diameter, and each of said fingers having a thickness measured horizontally perpendicular to said vertical plane of approximately the same size as said maximum diameter of grip element.
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material from work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, a plurality of finger portions extending downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface on a respective one of said finger portions, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, and support means supporting said grip element for movement in a vertical plane which is generally perpendicular to said gripping surface and along a path such that as said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and grippng surface on said work unit,
- said grip element being a ball of generally spherical shape rotatably supported on said support means so as to rotate relative to said support means when a unit of work material received between said grip element and said gripping surface is pulled horizontally from said hanger, and
- said ball grip element having a plurality of circular ribs concentric with its axis of rotation relative to said support means.
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material from work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, a plurality of finger portions extending downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface on a respective one of said finger portions, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, and support means supporting said grip element for movement in a vertical plane which is generally perpendicular to said gripping surface and along a path such that as said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and gripping surface on said work unit,
- said grip element being a body of revolution rotatably supported on said support means so as to rotate relative to said support means when a unit of work material received between said grip element and said gripping surface is pulled horizontally from said hanger,
- said stationary gripping surface in horizontal section being curved to match the curvature of said body of revolution.
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material from work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, a plurality of finger portions extending downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface on a respective one of said finger portion, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, and support means supporting said grip element for movement in a vertical plane which is generally perpendicular to said gripping surface and along a path such that a said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and gripping surface on said work unit,
- at least one of said downwardly extending finger portions having an eye at its lower end for receiving a supplemental hanger.
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material for work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, a plurality of finger portions extending downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface on a respective one of said finger portions, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, support means supporting said grip element for movement in a vertical plane which is generally perpendicular to said gripping surface and along a path such that as said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and gripping surface on said work unit,
- a hanger rod extending vertically and slidably relatively to said hanger body, and means for adjustably fixing said hanger body to said hanger rod at any selected one of a number of points along the length of said hanger rod.
A hanger as defined in cliam 9 further chracterized by said hanger rod at its lower end protruding downwardly beyond said hanger body and being formed to provide an eye for receiving a supplemental hanger.
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material from work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, a plurality of finger portions extendng downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface on a respective one of said finger portions, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, and support means supporting said grip element for movement in a vertical plane which is generally perpendicular to said gripping surface and along a path such that as said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and gripping surface on said work unit,
- said support means of each gripper being a lever pivotally connected to one of said finger portions of said body and having a support arm portion carrying the associated grip element and locating it adjacent the associated gripping surface which is located on a neighboring one of said finger portions.
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material from work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, a plurality of finger portions extending downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface on a respective one of said finger portions, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, and support means supporting said grip element for movement in a vertical plane which is generally perpendicular to said gripping surface and along a path such that as said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and gripping surface on said work unit,
- said gripping surface of each of said downwardly extending finger portions of said body being provided by a roller supported on said finger for rotation relative to said finger portion about a generally vertical axis.
A hanger for use in a conveyorized system for transporting limp material from work station to work station, with a body having an upper portion and a plurality of grippers associated with said body for each releasably holding a unit of work material, a plurality of finger portions extending downwardly from said upper portion, and said plurality of grippers each comprising a generally vertically extending stationary gripping surface on a respective one of said portions, a grip element located adjacent said gripping surface, and support means supporting said grip element for movement in a vertical plane which is generally perpendicular to said gripping surface and along a path such that as said grip element moves upwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally away from said gripping surface and such that as said gripping element moves downwardly relative to said gripping surface it moves horizontally toward said gripping surface so that when a unit of work material is inserted between said gripping surface and said grip member the weight of said work unit and the engagement between said work unit and said grip element urges said grip element downwardly relative to said gripping surface and at the same time urges said grip element toward said gripping surface to increase the grip of said grip element and gripping surface on said work unit,
- said grip element being a body of revolution rotatably supported on said support means so as to rotate relative to said support means when a unit of work material received between said grip element and said gripping surface is pulled horizontally from said hanger, and
- said gripping surface of each of said downwardly extending finger portions of said body being provided by a roller supported on said finger portion for rotation relative to said finger portion about a generally vertical axis so that both said grip element and said roller element rotate when a unit of work material received between said grip element and said roller is pulled horizontally from said hanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.